Inland Northwest Gardening

by Pat Munts

As a child, Tsuneko Horton spent many long afternoons gathering wild lilies. They grew everywhere on her small island off the southern coast of Japan. She fell in love with them. Today, on the other side of the Pacific, in the pine forests of northeast Washington, she and her husband Don have recreated as close to a wild garden of lilies as their harsh climate will allow. Even with its challenges, each July, her “Queens of the Garden” treat her again to great bouquets.

Lilies are a mainstay of the mid-summer garden. They are the perfect companions to any number of perennials and small shrubs. When they bloom, they light up the garden with both color and fragrance. They are truly the regal ladies of the garden that we should meet.

Asiatic Hybrids

Native to China, Korea and Japan, Asiatics are the earliest bloomers and the easiest of the lilies to grow. They generally grow two to four feet tall and bloom from the end of June into late July. This makes them perfect of the middle or front of a border and for container planting. They range in color from bold oranges and reds to subtle pinks, yellows and creams. Their blooms are usually upfacing but some can be outward facing or pendulous trumpet-shaped. Most are cold hardy to USDA Zones 3-8 and can handle heat in the AHS Heat Zones 8-1.

Oriental Hybrids

Orientals are native mostly to Japan and parts of China and are best known for their strong fragrance and large flowers. These are hybrids of Lilium aratum and Lilium specious that Horton used to gather in the forests of her native Japan.

Orientals are not as colorful as the Asiatics, but what they lack in color they have in boldness and fragrance. Dwarf Orientals grow to 18 to 30 inches while standard forms can reach as much as eight feet. Last year Horton had one that grew so tall “it started bending down and I had to tie it to the roof gutter to keep it upright,” she said. They generally bloom in July and August. The Orientals need some light shade from the afternoon summer sun in eastern Washington but will do well in the sun on the west side of the state. They are winter hardy to USDA zones 5-8 and heat tolerant in AHS Heat Zones 8-1.

Martagons or Turk’s Cap

Martagons are characterized by many small, down-facing fragrant flowers with tightly reflexed or backwards curved petals that give the appearance of a traditional Turkish cap. The flowers are held on a single tall spike and come in shades of pink, rose, magenta and white, blooming in June and early July. The plants can grow to between four and six feet tall. The Maragons are quite shade tolerant and do best in the dappled shade of small trees amongst hostas and other shade perennials. On the west side of the state they will handle morning sun well and afternoon sun if they are away from heat sinks like walls and rocks. They are similar to the Asiatics in cold and heat tolerance.

Trumpets and Aurelian hybrids

These are the plants people usually think of when they think of lilies; huge, waxy fragrant, trumpet-shaped blooms held high on tall, stately plants. The flowers can also have a flat-faced, bowl or recurved shape and come in pinks, yellows and whites. Aurelians are a cross between the trumpets and the species lily, Lilium henryi. L. henryi lends its characteristic sunburst shaped yellow flower to the cross. Both generally grow four to eight feet tall and bloom in July to early August. They are cold hardy to USDA Zone 3-8 and heat tolerant in AHS Heat Zones 8-1.

Oriental trumpet — the OT or Orienpet Hybrids

This is a relatively new group of hybrids that bring together the best characteristics of the Orientals and trumpets; huge size, strikingly bold flowers and overall vigor. They grow between four and eight feet and come in shades of pink, red and white. These are one of the last of the lilies to bloom coming on at the end of July and well into August. They are much more heat tolerant than the Orientals and hardy in USDA Zones 3-8.

Growing Lilies

Lilies prefer a humus-rich, loam soil that drains quickly. “They are susceptible to root rot if the soil doesn’t drain well,” says David Sims who grows several hundred plants on a sandy river bench in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho. Sims recommends that if you have thick clay soil or damp places, lilies need to be planted either in a six to ten-inch high raised bed or in a deeply dug bed with several inches of porous material added to the bottom before planting.

With the exception of the Orientals, lilies tolerate soils with a pH of 6-7. The Orientals prefer acidic soils with a pH no higher than about 6.5.

Sims fertilizes his bulbs in the spring when the shoots first appear and then again just as the buds appear. Because the Orientals prefer an acid soil, they should be fertilized with a rhododendron-type fertilizer.

“Most lilies (except the Martagons) like full sun to full sun” to grow bushy and bear lots of blooms says Sims. That said, Sims and Horton both agree that in the hot, sunny climate of eastern Washington, Orientals do better and hold their color longer if they get a little light shade in the afternoon. On the west side, they will do fine in all but the hottest and brightest garden spaces.

Keep lily roots cool by mulching them with two to three inches of organic mulch. This can also be accomplished by planting them with other perennials or small shrubs. Horton plants her lilies amongst rhododendrons and under the high shade of tall Ponderosa pines.

Most lilies need to be divided every three to five years. Dig them in the fall after the stalk has yellowed. Separate whole individual bulbs, but don’t break the bulbs into scales. The bulbs should replanted immediately at a depth of three times their height. Because they grow whenever conditions are right, they can’t be stored like daffodils or tulips. Newly planted bulbs benefit from a winter mulch their first year. Plant in groups of five or seven to create more of a garden presence.

Lilies can be purchased and planted in the spring but they will bloom later and will take a year to reach their full size.

Diseases and Pests

Lilies are somewhat susceptible to fungal diseases like botrytis in the cooler, moister coastal areas. East side gardeners don’t have to worry about it as much because of the drier climate. Botrytis cinerea is the most common fungal disease. It is appears on the upper leaves as wet-looking, teardrop or boat-shaped spots. The center can be a slightly different color than the outer edge. Botrytis occurs most often during wet, foggy conditions (common in coastal areas) when the temperature stays between 50 to 65 degrees for several hours during the day or night.

To reduce the potential for botrytis, don’t plant lilies too close together; leave room for good air circulation. Pick up all plant debris in the fall to remove overwintering spores. If you have a major problem, you may need to dig your bulbs annually and rotate your plantings beds.

Aphids can be a problem on lilies, not only because they can damage tender new growth in the spring but also because they can carry viruses from plant to plant. Use a hard stream of water or an insecticidal soap to remove them from the plants.

Lilies Make Beautiful Cut Flowers

Wait until the first bud on a stem is barely opening to cut the stem. Leave two-thirds of the stem when you cut so that the plant has enough leaves to rebuild the bulb. Place the stems in deep cool water for a few hours to hydrate them and then arrange them. Trim out the pollen covered stamens before bringing them indoors as the bright yellow pollen will stain. If you do get pollen on you or tablecloths, don’t try to wipe it off with a wet rag as this will set the stain. Instead brush it off with a brush or pick it up with a piece of tape. Or try Sims’ method: “If you get it on a shirt, lay it out in the sun and it will bleach it out very quickly.”

Resources

North American Lily Society
http://www.lilies.org/index.htm
Executive Secretary: Stephanie Sims
PO Box W, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805

The Lily Garden
4902 NE 147th Ave
Vancouver, WA 98682-6067
Phone: (360) 253-6273
http://www.thelilygarden.com

The Lily Pad
3403 Steamboat Island Rd NW
PMB 374
Olympia, WA 98502
Phone: (360) 866-0291
http://www.lilypadbulbs.com/

B and D Lilies
PO Box 2007
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Phone: (360) 765-4341
http://www.bdlilies.com/